Alma 29:9

"I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yeah, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."

Alma 29:9

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Nonetheless, Miracles!

Dear family,

Welp, my greenie and I survived our first week together!! Ha ha just kidding, it was a good one. Lots of appointments fell through, lots of doors were left unopened, lots of people were uninterested...but regardless of all of that, there were SO MANY MIRACLES. I am so so grateful!! Also. I've recommitted this week to opening my eyes and recognizing the miracles that make up missionary work. Despite all that didn't go as planned this week, it helped me see all of the good.

Hold on to your shorts while I tell you about a few of them. 😉

Tuesday, I got my greenie! Her name is Sister Morgan, she is from Spanish Fork, Utah, and she is super sweet!! Just like each and every time before, the Lord is helping me as I make this transition. I thought I would be the one teaching her all the things about being a missionary, when in fact, she's teaching me! Training is definitely a humbling experience. It is helping me to rely on the Lord more than ever before. I'm excited for what these next 3 months hold in store--lots of learning, growing, stretching, improving and becoming closer to the Savior! 'Twill be so good. ☺️

Miracle: We found Edgar!! ... You'll never believe this..... Once upon a time, Sister Smith and I went to contact a referral named Aaron. We didn't have a Bible with us (which is what he requested), but we gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon and taught him about that. Unfortunately, he was moving that very day to Texas...who knows where...so we couldn't teach him. BUT. Fast forward about 4 weeks. Sister Morgan and I go to contact a referral named David that we got from a less-active member in the ward. Didn't have an apartment number, but tried a door and this lady didn't know where David lived...so we tried apartment one (the SAME EXACT apartment where Aaron lived). This guy answers the door, and we ask if David lives there. He said he does, but that he left to go back to work. We started talking to him, and he told us his name was Edgar. He also told is about his strong belief in God. We told him about the Book of Mormon, testified of it, and gave him a copy. Invited him to read and pray about it and testified if he would read and pray, he would receive an answer. He said, "Yeah, I will read this, honestly." We are supposed to see him tomorrow night, which will be awesome!! (Don't you fret, we are also going to go see David earlier in the day...hopefully he's home, because we have no other way to contact him...😀)

Miracle: We met Keyonna!! The whole time I've been in Beaver, we've tried to meet this girl Keyonna, with no success. She requested a Book of Mormon ages ago, and the sisters haven't been able to meet her. Every time they go, they end up talking to her dad, Kasey because she isn't home. He's really nice and will listen to you, but we aren't sure how well he is comprehending all of it. Anyway, Sister Morgan and I went to see them on Saturday, intending just to see Kasey and talk to him, but LO AND BEHOLD Keyonna was home!!! So we were able to sit down and have a lesson with her. It was one of the most spiritual lessons I've ever been in. We talked to her for a bit, and then showed her the "Because of Him" video. She was really emotional as she watched it. Afterwards, we talked to her about Christ's Atonement and what is possible through it and because of Him. She continued to be emotional as we testified of the Savior. I was about to wrap it up and set a return appointment, but the Spirit whispered, "Teach her about the Restoration." We did (well, I did, because Sister Morgan was keeping a little boy occupied while we taught Keyonna), and the Spirit was so strong. There are hardly any words. I especially felt the Spirit as I looked into her eyes and told her Joseph Smith's account of the First Vision. I invited her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and about Joseph Smith, and she said she would. We are scheduled to meet with her next Saturday, and I can hardly wait. For whatever reason, I feel like there's something really special about her. I am so excited to share more of the gospel with her.

Miracle: Cathy came to church!!🎶 For the first time in forever 🎶 Cathy came to church!!! SO SO HAPPY. She loved it too!! She is so ready to be a Mormon!! Ha ha! We are ecstatic for her. It's been a long time coming to get her to church, and it was one of the happiest days of my mission seeing her come.

Like I said, despite all that didn't go through like we hoped this week, the Lord provided opportunists, opened doors, and blessed us with miracles. HE IS SO GOOD.

So our district leader, Elder Pennington, is having us memorize this to recite as a district, and Sister Morgan and I recite it each day before comp study. It is amazing, so I wanted to share it with you.

My missionary commission: I am called of God. My authority is above that of kings of the earth. By revelation, I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Master and and He has chosen me to represent Him. To stand in His place, to say and do what He Himself would say and do if He personally were ministering to the very people to whom He has sent me. My voice is His voice, my acts are His acts, my doctrine is His doctrine. My commission is to do what He wants done, to say what He wants said, to be a living modern witness, in word and in deed, of the divinity of His great and marvelous latter-day work. How great is my calling!

Amazing, right?! I just adore it. It gives me such a sacred perspective on serving as a full-time missionary, as one of His representatives. It is such a privilege to serve a mission.

Please pray for our recent convert, Brianna (she's got a great name, right?! 😉). She is facing a lot of opposition right now and isn't sure about her decision to be baptized (she was baptized the end of March). We are trying to reach out to help her, without much success. Please keep her in your prayers. Please also pray for Cathy that she will continue to depend her conversion to Christ and His gospel and stay strong as she prepares for baptism.

Thank you for all the prayers and support--they mean so much more than you know. I LOVE YOU SOO MUCH and hope you have the best week!!!!